McKesson today announces that it has successfully completed it's acquisition of System C, a specialist provider of software and services to the health and social care markets.
McKesson is a leading distributor of medicines, medical supplies and healthcare information technology solutions that touch the lives of more than 100 million patients in every healthcare setting across the world. McKesson operates the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR), an integrated HR and payroll system responsible for the pay of 1.4m NHS employees across England and Wales.
This acquisition combines System C's next-generation Medway suite of clinical and administrative software and its proven volume deployment capability with McKesson's client base, financial strength and reputation. Together, the companies are a major provider of IT to the NHS, independent and social care markets in the UK and internationally.
McKesson and System C employ 1200 people in Europe. Their joint product offering includes patient administration and electronic patient record (PAS/EPR) systems, A&E, maternity, child health, business intelligence, PACS, cardiology, adult and children's social care systems, workforce management solutions and services, and a variety of clinical and commissioning applications.
Patrick Carter, chairman of the McKesson International Operations Group, said: "This is a key strategic acquisition and a significant investment in UK healthcare IT. It brings immediate benefits to our extensive user base and to the wider health and social care sectors."
Dr Ian Denley, chief executive of System C, commented: "This is an exciting development for the company, our clients and the people who work for us. We are looking forward to building on the best of both companies to help deliver real improvements to efficiency and quality of care."
System C will retain its identity as a separate company, and will operate under its existing management team as System C, a McKesson company.
System C has won a significant number of recent major Medway contracts, including the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Ministry of Defence.
Last week System C signed a multi-million pound contract to supply Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust with the Medway PAS/EPR, following a six-month competitive procurement.
Developed specifically for the UK, Medway is now installed in a wide range of hospitals, including large teaching hospitals such as Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and small specialist Trusts such as the Christie NHS Foundation Trust. System C's social care system from Liquidlogic is already number one in the children's services market.
"McKesson has an existing PAS customer base, running trusted systems at the very core of their organisation. It is paramount to us that we are able to offer them a proven, best of breed solution which will meet their future needs," Carter said. "Buying System C ensures McKesson can offer customers an award-winning suite of PAS and clinical systems, developed specifically for the NHS using the latest Microsoft technologies, and ready to install today."
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, headquartered in San Franciscoand currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organisations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit www.mckesson.co.uk
McKesson UK is a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation specialising in workforce, clinical and administrative information technology and medical imaging solutions and has operated in the UK since 1990. McKesson's dedicated 450 strong workforce delivers to virtually every NHS organisation as well as to a number of other public and private sector organisations. As operators of the world's largest integrated HR and payroll system - the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) - McKesson pays 7% of the working population in England and Wales, a workforce of more than 1.4 million NHS employees. For more information, visit www.mckesson.co.uk
About System C Healthcare
System C specialises in the design and development of clinical patient management and business intelligence software, and provides systems implementation and consulting services to the health and social care sectors.